Blood Red
by Chelsea2
Summary: At 16, beautiful Lily Evans comes to Hogwarts by mistake. There she meets three guys who change her life in a very dramatic way, and discovers that some ties run thicker than blood. Lj Ch 11 up!
1. Escape

Outside, the rain beat down mercilessly. Cars moved slowly through the haze, careful of the slick streets. A yellow cab pulled up outside King's Cross.  
  
The door opened, revealing a girl, the rain plastering her red curls to her face. The emerald in her eyes shone like fire, warning those of her innocent, yet treacherous power. She stepped out of the cab, before turning to pay the driver. The Taxi pulled slowly away from the curb, - this was it. She braced herself. Walking to the door, and then opening it, a gust of chilly air greeted her. People rushed past, each occupied with their own business, each with their own train to catch. No one noticed the small girl, framed by the dark sky outside.  
  
She was alone, with no baggage, no money, and almost no clue where to go. Her old life was over. Her parents dead, her sister exiling her from the family, it was all her fault; it was all in the past. She lifted her head, blinking back the memories of what she used to know. It all seemed so far away. And in reality, it was.  
  
****************************  
  
"Hey James, look at her." James Potter turned to his handsome best friend, Sirius Black, and then towards his pointing finger. James was 17, in the prime of his life. Good genes and a life on the Quidditch pitch had certainly done him and Sirius well. Sirius was his brother, in every way but blood. The two were bachelors for life, and it was just like Sirius to be pointing towards the next potential flavor-of-the-week. (I hate that expression!)  
  
James gave the girl the once over. She was beautiful, with long legs and a slim waist, barely hidden by the long back coat, which when wet stuck to her figure. Her hair was weaved with strands of fire and gold. He smiled, she would be the perfect quickie before getting on the Hogwarts Express, a nice way to start the new year. He smiled at Sirius, nodding, and started striding towards the lost beauty. Today was his day.  
  
***************************  
  
The mentioned red-head looked around the station. She needed to get moving, there was no way to tell who was watching. Hard experience had taught her to be careful, even when danger seemed not present. As she looked past platform 10, a dark-haired young man caught her eye, and began striding towards her. She paused for a moment, hoping he was watching someone behind her, but his eyes never left her face. Who was he?  
  
Shock ripped through her features, followed by blind panic, this couldn't be happening. Taking another look, she saw he was accompaneyed by another person, the same hight and with the same stature as the other. They reeked of power, she could sense it even from here.  
  
They were not normal, and neither was she. She needed to run, to hide. She looked around wildly. He was getting closer every second, his stride increasing as he closed in on her. She turned to walk outside, but a mass of people blocked her exit. There was only one way to go. She had to escape.  
  
She ran, dodging people who assumed she was late for a train. Shortly, her breaths came out in gasps, cramps gripping her sides. She was too weak to be attempting another try at evadsiveness. People blocked her exits, her panic inabling her to think clearly. It was going to end, all of it. That was the one thought that stuck in her head, her vision blurring with tears. She saw the wall but ran ahead, it was better to die this way than to be taken, or killed in a fight. At least this would be of her own doing, unlike everything else in her life. She closed her eyes, waiting for the crash to come.  
  
******************************  
  
Behind her, James blinked in confusion. Why in hell did the girl start running? He looked at Sirius who also had a confused look on his face. No one ran from James Potter and Sirius Black. No one. Who was she? After a moments hesitation, he shrugged.  
  
"Well, forget that. Come on Padfoot, we have a train to catch!"  
  
*************************  
  
She closed her eyes, but the crash never came. She hesitated, and slowly opened her eyes. She could feel it better now, the immensity of the power that surrounded her. These were all magical beings. She shrank into the shadows, careful not to draw attention to herself. What had happened to the wall? She was now on a platform, filled with people around her age, all saying good-bye to family. No one took notice of her, no one spotted her in the crowd. A whistle sounded through the air, announcing the last boarding of the train. The train was scarlet, with a sign proclaiming "the Hogwarts Express". She looked at it thoughtfully. Should she go? Maybe this was her ride, maybe this was what destiny meant for her to do. Then again, maybe not. But it was an escape, a fresh start, and she would be away from the horrors of this world.  
  
Making up her mind she lined up to board the train. The conductor stood there, taking names and tickets. She quickly stole a ticket out of the pocket of the man in front of her. Hopefully, he wouldn't be needing it.  
  
"Ticket?" the large man asked, and read it over as she handed it to him. "Name?" She looked at him thoughtfully, hesitating slightly under his gaze. "Name miss?" he asked again.  
  
She looked up slowly, meeting his eyes, "It's Lily, sir, Lily Evans."  
  
He looked her up and down, before admitting her on the train. It was done, no turning back now. She walked to the end of the train, purposly picking the last compartment, hoping that it would be empty. She opened the door and was surprised to find four boys sitting there, each looking at her in varying states of shock.  
  
"You!"  
  
____________________Hope you guys read, Please tell me if you like it or not. It has a plot, I promise! Anways, If you like this chapter, in the next you'll find out a little more about Lily and why she is running. Also a little bit of Lily/James hate/love action going on there, and a LOT of flirting! Anywasys, PLEASE REVIEW! 


	2. Losing it

"You!"  
  
Lily swayed slightly on her feet, her head rushing, a dull roar in her ears. How did they, why did they-? She straightened herself, holding her chin up high. Not one of the boys or the two girls in the compartment had moved, and the two from the station still stared at her in disbelief. One of their friends, sandy-haired and tawny eyed, with a faint mysteriousness about him stood up, his hand gesturing towards his seat.  
  
"Hi, we have room if you're looking." He was a werewolf, she could see it in his eyes, hear it in his voice. She couldn't trust him, but then again she couldn't trust anyone. "Are you new? I don't think I've ever seen you before." He smiled, showing slightly pointed teeth. He was uncomfortable, the situation made awkward by his friends surprised silence. She hesitated, trying to decide what course of action to take.  
  
Lily took a step backward, her face letting them in on her fear. Her headache increased, the dull roar joined by a fierce pounding. She was too weak.  
  
They stood up, their mouths moving, saying something she couldn't quite catch, their faces fading slightly. She hastened, she had to leave, get off the train or find another compartment. Her foot caught on the hallway's rug, tripping her, finishing her descent, both literally and metaphorically, into the darkness. She was out cold.  
  
*******************************************************  
  
James looked down on the girl who had just fainted in the doorway to their compartment with shock. It was the girl from the station, the one that had run away. Upon closer look he noticed her fair complexion and ruby red lips, her dazzling green eyes, surrounded by that mane of hair. She was gorgeous. He turned to Sirius, who looked at her with awe and worry, while Peter and Arabella, his girlfriend, hurried to tell someone about the girl.  
  
Within minutes, the compartment seemed to bustle with activity. Two women came in, shortly followed by a stout man, all chattering away about something, picking the girl up and checking her pulse, running around asking frantic questions, and trying to identify her. The four just stood in shock at the attention given to the matter. She had only fainted, what was all the extra fuss about? Eventually she was carried out, leaving the six adolescents to themselves.  
  
"What do you think that was about?" Sirius whispered, still staring at the compartment door. James shrugged and looked towards Remus. He had good instincts, and a werewolf's sixth sense. Remus was silent for a moment.  
  
"She wasn't a witch. Or a muggle. I've never felt anything like her before. Her aura was was really powerful," his eyes were filled with amazement, "I wonder who she is..."  
  
Sirius and James looked at each other, silently agreeing. James cleared his throat.  
  
"We kinda.er.forgot to tell you, we saw her in the station earlier, but she ran from us. She, she looked really-"  
  
"Hot?" Sirius jumped in, smiling wolfishly. The compartment filled with laughter, and he pulled the other girl into his lap, who blushed and pretended to slap him as if she didn't want to be there. James rolled his eyes. Sirius, sirius, sirius...Sirius never could make up his mind, today it was Cindy, tomorrow it would probably be Peter's girlfriend, Arabella.  
  
"Look, I'm gonna go find the candy cart lady, anyone up to join me? Everyone but Sirius and his 'friend' accepted, and the quartet jostled noisily down the train, looking for a source of food, the mysterious girl driven from their minds.  
  
****************************  
  
The only thing she could perceive was a faint singing echoing in her ear. It actually sounded quite bad, people having chosen different tunes and pitches, not at all in harmony. Lily groaned. Who the hell was making the racket?  
  
She opened her eyes slowly, adjusting to the dim light that filled the room. Peppermint, her sheets smelled of peppermint. She smiled into them, taking in their scent. Peppermint always calmed her. She took little notice of the walls and the beds, not caring that she was in a hospital, not caring about anything at all except falling back to sleep in the comfort of this nice, peppermint smelling, be-  
  
"Oh, I see that you have awoken!" Lily snapped upright. An old man stood next to her bed, his eyes twinkling. "I must say you gave us quite a fright when you fainted on the train, Miss -" He hesitated, Lily looked at him, unsure of herself, sensing how strong and powerful the old man was despite his lack of youth.  
  
"Evans" she replied curtly.  
  
"-Miss Evans. It is quite an honor to meet you." Silence ensued, "I am Albus Dumbledore." Lily chose not to comment, but to glare viciously at the old man. "While I am aware that you are not a witch, it is rather amazing how you managed to get onto the platform 9 and 3 quarters without magical assistance. If I may ask, how did you do it?" Lily looked at him slightly confused, this man had obviously lost it a while ago.  
  
"I ran into the wall." She confessed rather shortly. Why did this man care? He wasn't of any importance to her....  
  
Sensing her animosity towards him, Dumbledore got to his point. "Anyway, Ms. Evans, it appears that you have magical talent, and this is, after all a school. If it may please you to know, you have been successfully enrolled in Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You start classes tomorrow, and you should find that all is in order when you get to your room." He sat there smiling and twinkling at her. This was all a big present. A wonderful opportunity. A new start. Lily blinked in disbelief at the old man before her. She stood up, sliding slightly off the bed, determined that it was now or never to make a run for it, or else do it the hard way.  
  
"Ah, I see you are quite excited to go to bed, I'll have a prefect come and show you to your room. Good-night Miss Evans." And with that parting word, he swept out of the room, closing the door shut behind him. The lock clicked with a dull thud. He had apparently realized her intentions, and had locked the door. Damnit, there went that idea. What had she gotten herself into? 


	3. scrambled eggs

Lily sighed, and fell back onto the bed. This wasn't going to be easy. What was the old man talking about, a witch? The thought had never really occurred to her...perhaps it was true? It would make sense, with all the strange things that happened to her.  
  
Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. She sighed and stood up. The door swung open revealing the guy in the station, tall with messy hair. She almost gasped, just catching herself. He must be a wizard then. He seemed to have noticed her open mouth, and chuckled slightly.  
  
"James Potter, at your service." He gave a little bow, a twinkle in his eyes. She looked at him, not sure how to react, her mouth still open. A minute passed. "I hear it's quite effective to catch flies that way." He commented, causing her to blush and close her mouth quickly.  
  
She glared at him and then strode out the door, slightly pissed at his mocking. She turned left, the boy still laughing behind her. He ran up next to her. "So why did you run from us in the station?" A few moments passed, "Are you sick or something? I mean, you did faint on the train," a few more minutes passed. "So do you talk at all?" he glanced at her, a smile tugging on his mouth.  
  
"No asshole, I'm a freakin' deaf-mute. Of course I talk." She snapped. Damn this guy was annoying.  
  
He stopped, surprised at her lack of warmth. Most girls fell at his feet. "Well, excuuuuse me. Who woke up on the wrong side of the bed THIS morning?" James retorted.  
  
"Well, not me Potter. Who got the huge stick up his ass this morning?" James looked at her for a moment, before turning away  
  
"Fine, find your own way to your bed tonight. Bitch..." He muttered under his breath, stopping. The silence was tense as Lily stopped and turned to face him.  
  
"What did you just call me?" her eyes seemed to glow in the dark of the hallway, framed by her hair.  
  
"Too bad you're hot, Lily Evans, it's quite a waste on someone like you." James added viscously, intent on making her mad. He was livid, no one had made him this mad in a while. What was her problem?  
  
She looked at him, about to retort, but something stopped her. She was sick of it, the running, the fighting, the heartache. She was sick of it, and he wasn't worth it.  
  
"Whatever Potter, just stay out of my way." And she turned and walked into the gloom of the darkened hallway, leaving James steaming behind her.  
  
**************************************************  
  
It really wasn't too hard to find her room. This Dumbledore guy was obviously a kook, his lights not traveling all the way upstairs. That was the problem with power, those who were ignorant and blissful most often were the strongest. She stopped outside the portrait, some basic feeling telling her this was were she needed to go. A fat lady in a pink dress addressed her, scaring the shit out of her.  
  
"Password?" Lily gasped, watching the portrait closely.  
  
"Gigglesworth" a deep voice commented from behind her. That annoying Potter again. He looked surprised that she had managed to find the picture before he did. The portrait opened, revealing a round room, decorated in red and gold, with a comfortable fire. People of various ages sat around, catching up on their summers.  
  
"Evans."  
  
"Potter." They glared at each other, before James turned to his friends, and Lily continued up to her room.  
  
******************************************  
  
"Damnit, double potions and Defense against the dark arts with them again!" James potter blurted out after he was handed his new timetable. He was, of course, referring to the slytherins, whom they had most of their classes with. Three seats down, Lily smirked at his displeasure. He seemed to be an early riser, as they were two of the only 5 people at the table. His friends apparently were still asleep, as he was alone.  
  
She had gone to bed last night to find a complete set of school supplies, everything from extra robes to a new wand, sitting on her bed. This morning another prefect had been sent by Dumbledore to escort her to breakfast. In the corner of her eye, she could see a strict professor whose hair was in a tight bun checking up on her every few minutes. The obviously expected her to stay a while, and seemed to be taking extra measures to ensure that she did not run. She'd have to wait awhile, she'd have to gain their trust.  
  
After looking at her own timetable, she turned to her food, consisting of scrambled eggs covered in BBQ sauce.  
  
"Hey, it's a woman after my own heart!" A tall guy with long shaggy hair and a lean build sat down next to her, pointing to his own plate, which also had the sauce covered eggs. Lily laughed lightly.  
  
"We're two of a kind, aren't we?" she commented, making a light joke. He sat, and laughed.  
  
"Sirius Black at your service." He stuck out his hand, which she took.  
  
" Lily Evans at yours."  
  
"So you're the transfer student?" Sirius asked. Lily raised her eyebrows questioningly. "Dumbledore said there was a new transfer student." She quickly started nodding, not wanting to have to fill him in on uncomfortable details.  
  
"Ya, that's me, the new kid on the block." She took a sip of her drink, which she immediately spat out, staining the white tablecloth and his white shirt. "Uh...oops."  
  
Sirius laughed. "Wow, that's a new record for me, Lily. I've only known you five minutes, and already you're throwing things and spitting at me!" Lily giggled, blushing.  
  
"Oh, I'm so sorry. This stuff is really nasty. Don't you have any orange juice?"  
  
Sirius looked at her 'orange juice?' but decided not to comment. He let her wipe some of the pumpkin juice off himself. "Wow, it's nice having pretty girls feel you up this early in the morning." He joked, his eyes twinkling. She hit him lightly in the arm.  
  
"Pervert."  
  
"Yes, he always is." Lily turned to see the werewolf boy standing beside her. She looked at him, unsure of whether to scream her head off, or to move and make room for him. She noticed the dark rings under his eyes, which were almost covered by sun streaked bangs. They glinted gold, even in the morning sun. Something was up, you normally couldn't see the lycanthropy that lay in a werewolf's eyes. Realization dawned on her.  
  
"Last night was a full moon." She whispered, mostly to herself. But he heard. He gasped in the same moment she did, and they quickly looked in each other's eyes. He was about to say something-  
  
"Shit, I have to go." And with that she got up and darted out of the hall. 


	4. Apologies

PEOPLE.PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! Seriously, if I don't get at least 5 reviews for this chapter than I am not continuing this story! So PLEASE REVIEW! Thanx (and special thanx to those who have already reviewed!) _____________________________________________________________________  
  
Lily ran out of the great hall, looking for an exit. There was no telling who the werewolf boy was working for, who he might be. It wasn't safe for her, he might be dangerous. He certainly wasn't the first werewolf she had ever dealt with, and if worst came to worst, probably not the last. She started pacing the hall thinking of her options. She could-  
  
"Hey, Lily, what's up?" Sirius had run after her. She stopped, and gazed on with suspicion as Potter and the werewolf backed him. She started backing up against the wall, bearing her position. He didn't look hostile (the werewolf), but if need be she could run. "Lily? Anyone there?" Sirius asked again, stepping towards her.  
  
Lily panicked, turned and ran. Out the door, onto the lawn, towards the forest. The sun sat on the horizon, making her surroundings just visible. It was just visible enough to run through the overwhelming grey mist. Behind her she could hear the other boys shouts of amazement, and then their pounding footsteps.  
  
She stumbled slightly, her cloak weighing her down. She couldn't run half as fast in it as she could normally. She started panting, drawing in the dew-ey air. She whimpered.  
  
Behind her, James, Sirius, and Remus were running after her, James in the lead. The girl could run. At once James took a flying leap, tackling Lily.  
  
Lily fell, James on top of her. He didn't moth, regaining his composure and his breath.  
  
"Potter? Get the hell off me" Lily wheezed. James was heavy. He looked down on her, slightly annoyed that she had ruined his breakfast for this little morning jog.  
  
"Actually, I don't think I will. What the hell is wrong with you?"  
  
"James, cut it out." The werewolf boy looked at James with meaning. James sighed and slowly hoisted him and Lily to their feet, keeping a firm grasp on Lily's upper arm. It would probably be bruised tomorrow. Sirius looked at her with something that appeared sympathetic and amazed lingering in his eyes. She felt bad for putting him through this.  
  
"Fine, but we're getting some answers." Lily rolled her eyes, feeling yet another argument coming on between her and James.  
  
"And why should I even consider talking to you Potter? Like I even care what you and your pathetic friends think? I have better things to do." Lily said harshly, and turned to look towards the forest, expecting another smart-ass comment from Potter, but none came. The silence was eerie in the morning mist. She turned back around.  
  
"Ouch Lily, that hurt." Sirius commented quietly, looking downcast. Lily looked at him, feeling a spot in her heart softening for him. She sighed, realizing that she had offended probably the first true friend she had known in a long time. Running for your life didn't give time for friendships. She didn't stay long enough in each place to make any. It all worked out, but now it was screwed.  
  
She sighed again, watching Sirius's disappointed expression. A stray tear fell from her eye, staining a little path on her cheek. Every one of the guys watched it fall from her face, turning to deep blood red as it left her face and hit the ground. Sirius's expression hardened. She turned towards the werewolf boy.  
  
"Do it. Kill me now, I don't care. I don't care at all, I'm sick of it. Kill me now." She murmured in a soft voice, raising her eyes to look in his beautiful golden ones.  
  
He looked at her in surprise, his mouth opening slightly.  
  
"Look, I know you're a werewolf, ok? Just make whoever it is you're working for happy, and do it! I can't take this!"  
  
"H-how d-d-do you..." Remus stammered uncertainly, as Lily broke down in front of him, more tears streaming down her face. She tried to dash away but James kept a firm hold on her arm. She started struggling, causing him to grab her around the waist, turn her around, and face her towards Remus.  
  
Sirius smiled slightly to himself, as Lily immediately stopped crying and regained a pissed expression on her face as she looked at James. She glared at him, her mouth drawn into a straight line, her eyes twinkling. "You know, in any other situation, this would be funny." Sirius remarked, causing Lily to glare at him too. Remus smiled at him.  
  
"Ha...ha...ha." Lily laughed dryly. "I am just SO amused."  
  
"Really? Well, I really hope you're having a good time. We do try our best after all. You wouldn't believe the TIME and EFFORT we spend trying to brighten other people's days." Sirius remarked cheerfully, a mischievous smile lingering on his lips.  
  
"Effort Padfoot? You really shouldn't be the one talking. I'm the one holding her." James chimed in, causing all three boys to laugh. Lily smiled weakly, despite herself.  
  
"Look, look!" Sirius suddenly pointed at Lily, imitating an excited 5- year-old. "Look, little Lily smiled! Mommy, mommy, I want a smiling Lily! Can I get one? Pleeeease?" at this everyone turned and looked at him. Lily stopped smiling and began to look slightly concerned.  
  
"Um, is he okay?" Lily looked towards Remus. Who nodded and smiled in return.  
  
"Just ignore him, he rarely has fits of sanity. This is perfectly normal."  
  
"Oh." Lily paused, looking around at the three boys. They had bonded so quickly, forgetting their current situation. Everyone seemed to remember it now, as Lily shifted uncomfortably under James's hand. "I suppose we should get things straight." She murmured, mostly to herself.  
  
Remus stepped forward. "Look, I don't know how you know, but I am a werewolf. I'm also not working for anyone, and have no desire at all to kill you. My name's Remus Lupin." He spoke bravely to her, compassion etched on his features. She hesitated.  
  
"Ok, I'm sorry then. Especially to you Sirius, I didn't mean anything by what I said. I just haven't had anyone be this nice to me in a while, without wanting something in return. I didn't know how to deal." Silence ensued once again, while the new friends smiled at each other. Lily turned towards James, who raised his chin slightly, obviously expecting an apology. She smiled.  
  
"You know, you can let go of my arm now." He did so quickly, blushing slightly, and she strode up, back towards the castle. His mouth popped open.  
  
"What, that's it? No apology or anything?" James shouted after her, Sirius's and Remus's laughter echoing in the open space. Lily turned and waved, smiling triumphantly. As she opened the front doors, she thought to herself that perhaps Hogwarts wasn't such a bad place after all.  
  
___________________________________________PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW~ (you know you want to! =Þ) 


	5. memory

Hey all, sorry for the long wait on this new chapter. My computer's been down for like, 3 weeks, so I haven't been able to write anything or get on- line. Anyway, I hope you like the new chapter, please review~ (remember! no reviews, no story!)_________________ ________________________Enjoy! Chelsea__________  
  
Lily sat in her old room, her comforter wrapped around her, unable to move. The shouting downstairs grew louder. Her parents were arguing again. Lately something had happened between them, things weren't happy anymore. In the room next door, Lily could hear her older sister, Petunia, crying softly, cursing her name. Things had been in this state for about a week, ever since her 11th birthday. Her father, sweet and gentle, had started drinking, her mother leaving for clubs to get laid at all hours of the night. Both coming home to start yelling again, about something kept a mystery to the girls.  
  
Tonight was worse than usual though. Things had been stattering, and their voices reaching a pitch loud enough to even hear three stories up. They were definitely arguing about Lily.  
  
"It's all your fault she's like this! You were the one who left her alone that day!" Her mother shrieked. Lily could hear the sound of another glass being thrown against the wall.  
  
"How the hell was I supposed to know he would give her that! She just thought it was orange juice! Why didn't you tell her to not drink things strangers gave her!" her father yelled back.  
  
"So now it's my fault isn't it? It's all my fault! You and your perfect child-raising abilities, YOU LEFT HER ALONE!"  
  
"Well it's done now! He's coming and THAT'S IT! There's nothing you can do now, you stupid bitch. If you hadn't stayed in that meeting that day instead of coming to that picnic with me like you were supposed to." Another loud crash sounded, silencing the downstairs occupants.  
  
Tears started slipping down Lily's face, her whimpers echoing in the chill air. Petunia really was right, they were arguing about her. She sniffed and looked around in her massive 4th floor bedroom. The pictures on the wall conveyed a happy girl, with a happy loving family. Who knew if it would ever be like that again?  
  
It seemed as if the argument was over, the storm passed. Lily sniffed again, pulling her comforter closer around her to block out the biting cold coming from her open window. Snow started falling outside, swirling and falling, fading into the dark night.  
  
*************** Lily opened her eyes, fighting back the memories. The dark of her dormitory comforted her, assuring her of her surroundings. She sighed; glad she had woken up now, rather then later. She never could finish the nightmare without screaming. She pushed her bed curtain out of the way, and stepped in the chilly floor. The clock next to the bed chimed, striking two. She walked to the bathroom, and splashed some water on her face. It was cold, giving her Goosebumps. She walked down to the common room.  
  
The fire in the fireplace was dying, only red embers lighting the room. She walked slowly to the couch, glad to be alone.  
  
"Fancy seeing you here." A dry voice whispered.  
  
__________________________________________________________________ Okay okay, I know this chapter is really short and weird, but I promise it will get more light-hearted and funny next chapter. This is just some important stuff concerning Lily that will clue you in to who she is/why she's running/who she's running from, and will help explain the ending (whenever I end the story.don't worry, it's many chapters away.) So please review.if they are good, I'll probably update again tomorrow! THanx 


	6. ideals

OMG I LOVE YOU PEOPLE! THANX SOOOOO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS! YOU GUYS SERIOUSLY MADE MY DAY! Lol, anyways, hope you like the chapter, I'm updating as promised! ____________________________________________________ _______Chelsea___________  
  
"Fancy seeing you here" a dry voice whispered.  
  
Lily gasped, and turned around, fear clutching her heart. He had found her. She scanned the room...no one was there. She started to panic, looking around, she dropped to a crouch. She still couldn't see anyone.  
  
"Where the hell are you?" Silence answered her. The warm glow given of by the fire didn't seem comforting any more, it seemed more a declaration of her soon-to-be bloody death. The room was still silent.  
  
"Who are you.Answer me!" the silence was deafening. Still nothing moved; nothing came into her line of vision. She slowly stood up, her hands raised in mock defense. Had she imagined the voice? The silence was eternal, encompassing the room in a blanket cessation of sound, almost like snow. She dropped her hands, shaking her head. The silence was eerie. She turned to go back upstairs. But before she could go anywhere-  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH-". Lily screamed loud and hard as something grabbed her waist, until a hand clamped over her mouth. Through her muffled screams she could hear laughing. It sounded familiar...it sounded like-  
  
"POTTER! GET YOUR GRIMY HANDS OFF ME!" she bit his hand, and turned to see him and Sirius laughing hysterically while removing some sort of cloak. Her fear was immediately replaced by anger. Her face turned a brilliant shade of scarlet. "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DID THAT!" she hit James on the arm. They were both still laughing, James practically in tears. "THAT WASN'T FUNNY!"  
  
"Did...di-did you see her face?" James asked to Sirius, holding his stomach. Sirius only laughed harder.  
  
"OH MY GOD, I HATE YOU!" and with that Lily turned on her heel, and stormed back upstairs, leaving Sirius and James laying on the floor, rolling with laughter.  
  
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Lily woke up the next morning, light streaming in the windows, birds chirping outside. The events of the early morning caused her to grimace, as she felt emotions akin to embarrassment and anger. Potter would pay...but not now. She felt her way to the bathroom, hoping a warm shower would wash her headache away.  
  
Emerging clean and refreshed, she dressed in her new robes, and proceeded to the great hall. She smiled at the sight of the Great Halls glass windows filling the room with light. The enchanted ceiling showed a clear sky, shadowed only by a few light, fluffy clouds.  
  
As she sat down, she took out her new timetable. Today was her first day of classes, as she had been excused the day before in order to take a tour of the grounds at her own leisure. Looking through the schedule she noticed her classes with the Slytherins, remembering James's obvious dislike of them. 'Time to make some new friends! After all, anyone who disliked him couldn't be all that bad, right?' Lily thought to herself, trying to figure out how best to embarrass him to pay him back for the episode earlier. Professor McGonnagal had explained briefly to her the day before about her courses, the core subjects, and two extra classes, Divination and Ancient Runes. They all sounded exciting, but she couldn't help to remind herself that she wouldn't allow herself to stay there for long. It just wasn't safe - it wasn't smart.  
  
Sirius tapped her on the head and sat down. "Hey Lily!" Lily ignored him completely, concentrating on her toast. "Come on, we were just joking!"  
  
James grabbed the chair across from her, chuckling at the look she gave him. "Morning Lily-bean. How did you sleep last night?"  
  
"Ug, don't call me Lily-bean."  
  
"I must say, it's a lovely morning, my dearest Lily-bean" Lily glared, and hit him lightly In the shoulder. "Ouch, I think that's going to bruise." James declared, looking at his arm, smiling mischeviously. "Lily-bean, why do you seem to hate me so?" he asked, a whimsical note in his voice.  
  
"You know they do say there's only a small line between hate and love." Sirius pointed out, grinning. Lily turned towards him, her eyes lighting like two coals.  
  
"I think no-" But she couldn't continue, James picked up the act, getting up from his seat to sit next to her. He grabbed her hand.  
  
"Lily-bean, would you marry me?" Lily glared at him, partly in shock. On the other side of her Sirius grabbed her other hand.  
  
"We love you Lily!" At the same time they both enveloped her in hugs, crushing her between them. She couldn't help but laugh.  
  
"Air guys, I...need...air!" She gasped out. Her nose was stuffed into James's shirt, and she couldn't help but notice how good he smelled.  
  
"I'm feeling left out." Remus looked tired in the early morning light. Sirius opened an arm to let him in.  
  
"So are we forgiven?" Sirius tweaked Lily's hair. "Ok, ok, forgiven!" Lily grinned, and sat down back to her nutritional toast with soy sauce. 


	7. painting

Hey guys, hope you like the new chapter! Love always, Chelsea____________________  
  
  
  
Lily sighed, and looked around again. She was definitely lost. The corridor seemed to stretch in front of her, and endless abyss of twisted hallways and sinister paintings. Okay, maybe the paintings weren't all that bad, but she was late and they all seemed to whisper as she passed, as if they knew something she didn't. She was regretting not taking the offer the boys had made about escorting her to her first class, potions.  
  
She sighed again, looking at a painting of an old wizard. The corridor was cold, a breeze making it drafty and sending goose bumps down her spine. The caption under the painting read 'Merlin', causing Lily to smirk. It figured they'd have paintings of fictional characters. Merlin saw her smirk and scowled back at her, aware of her thoughts.  
  
"I would think, thou of all people, would know what is was like to be judged." Lily stopped smirking.  
  
"Excuse me?" To her his face seemed to turn dark, scorning her for her apparent lack of knowledge. He searched her face, his black eyes taking in every feature. He noted her exceptional beauty, and her careful, cat-like grace. He noted her fright. His face didn't soften.  
  
"Thou knows, thou hast always known." He stated carefully, fixing his eyes on hers. Lily paused, unsure of herself. Maybe this painting did know something she didn't.  
  
"What are you talking about? What do I know?" Lily asked, somewhat timidly.  
  
"Thou knows, knows everything but what's to come, and that's for you to decide. the future is yours." The silence of the hall was getting to her, the goose bumps intensifying on her neck. She wanted to run. "You know." He said once more, as if to make an impression.  
  
"But what is it? Tell me!"  
  
But the painting had turned his back on her to whisper to a portrait of a young woman with green eyes, and silvery-white hair. Over his shoulder she leered at Lily.  
  
Lily turned and starting walking again, at a brisk pace. She wanted to get away from the painting. It's cryptic message kept echoing in her head. What did she know? All she knew right now was that she was lost.  
  
******************** Lily stumbled into the potion's classroom 5 minutes later, being a total of 25 minutes late to class. She opened the door sheepishly, blushing as everyone in the class turned to look at her. After a minute they turned back around to their individual projects. "Miss Evans" The professor looked rather strict.  
  
"I'm sorry I'm late, I got los-"  
  
"Detention." The professor interrupted. She gestured toward a seat. "Everyone has already started, so you may join a group." She turned, and started walking up and down rows, critiquing the student's potions. Lily frowned, upset at making a bad impression on her first day. Sirius waved to her from across the dungeon, signaling for her to join his group. She smiled, and sat in the seat next to him, and nodded at Remus and James. Across from her sat two tall pale boys, one with black, the other with blonde hair. She waited for an introduction, but none came. Everyone decided to ignore the two and continued to work on their project. Lily cleared her throat.  
  
"Um, guys?" they turned to look at her. She tossed her head slightly in the direction of the other two. "Introductions?" she mouthed smoothly. James scowled slightly while looking at them. "Trust me Lily, you don't want to be introduced to them." Lily raised her eyebrows, as anger flared slightly in her. James continued, "Some wizarding families are worse than others, Evans, you don't want to be making friends with the wrong sort." (Oh, how ironic!!!)  
  
*******************_______________________________________ Ok, so how'd you like? This chapter was actually about twice as long, but it was too long for one chapter, so I had to break it up. Sorry if it's kinda a bad stopping place, but REVIEW! And I will post the second half soon. REVIEW PLEASE (or no story!) 


	8. enemies and allies

Hey guys, here's the 2nd half of the chapter!!!! Enjoy! Chelsea__________________  
  
"Don't worry James, I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself." Lily glared at him, it wasn't his business who she became friends with. None of his at all. The boys across the table smirked openly at the Marauders, but she didn't notice. Remus sighed.  
  
"Lily, this is Snape and Malfoy. Malfoy, Snape, this is Lily Evans." Lily smiled at Remus, then at the two across the table. They seemed nice enough, and she didn't understand the Marauders dislike of them. She held out her hand, which Malfoy shook confidently. He was tall and pale, slightly reminiscent of the statues of ancient Greek heroes. His hands were strong, and his handshake felt safe and steady. He smiled at her, showing a row of pearly white teeth.  
  
"Enchanted, really. You must call me Lucius," he said. His voice was rich yet gruff, and held a slight musical note.  
  
Across the table, James couldn't believe the slimy tone in which Malfoy was using with Lily. Even more, he couldn't believe she was falling for it. He started to blink a bit, and was nudged by Sirius when the handshake lasted a little longer than it should have.  
  
Lily felt a little uncomfortable under Lucius's gaze, as it assessed her. She seemed to pass inspection, however, as Lucius had nodded discreetly towards Snape. Snape also shook her hand, his long fingers entwining about her own, his hands long and lithe. She smiled more warmly, her eyes dancing. He played piano, she could feel it in the tips of his fingers. She always had had a special talent for music, and could read it in his aura, tainted with a lust for something that she couldn't quite identify. These two were certainly going to entice her. She could tell they had dark pasts, maybe even similar to her own. She didn't pause to think that perhaps they invited that danger.  
  
The class continued on, with Lily frowning at everything around her. The concept of magic was foreign to her, and she didn't understand her abilities, with or without her wand. She remained silent however, determined to gain knowledge on her own.  
  
About 10 minutes later, Snape was standing over his perfectly simmering potion, a dark red mist rising from it into his face, which smelled sweetly of roses. The potion was actually made of blood and fresh fallen snow, the Deceptivus potion, a potion made for deception and bewitching people.  
  
"Excuse me, I have to go talk to the professor about my latest potions paper, and the grade she gave me, I'll be right back. Don't add anything until I return, just let it simmer." He told Lily and the rest of the group (as he was the only one who really understood what they had to do), before turning swiftly to stride over to the teacher's desk. James nudges Sirius, and picked a small vial up off the desk.  
  
"Guys, don't." Lily said softly, a small warning in her voice. "Seriously, you'll get in trouble." James turned toward her with a bored expression.  
  
"But Lily-dearest-"  
  
"Don't ever call me that again." Lily said in a deadpan voice as she rolled her eyes.  
  
"Lily, Where would all the fun be in that?"  
  
"Eeearrrrrgh, heaven forbid you're serious for one moment."  
  
"Oh, but Lily-dearest," Lily glared at him, "You see, I'm not serious, I don't look anything like him!" James smiled juvenially.  
  
" Just don't, ok?" Lily pleaded, sighing loudly. James sighed in response and did a Boy Scout salute, nodding his head. Across the dungeon Snape motioned for her to come over. Lily glared at James to get her point across and walked slowly, hoping that she wasn't in trouble.  
  
The professor was sitting at her desk, Snape's paper in her hand. She looked sternly at Lily. "Miss Evans, Snape's thesis here tries to state that with magic comes knowledge and understanding, and that with the proper techniques, one can learn indefinitely. As I am highly skeptical to this theory, I was hoping he could create some experiment to prove this." She stopped and looked expectantly at Lily. Lily looked back at her slightly confused.  
  
"Well, what exactly does that have to do with me professor?" She asked, shooting a glance at Severus, who blushed slighly.  
  
"Well, I was wondering, since you have no real magical knowledge, if you would let Mr. Snape here tutor you for a couple of weeks to give his theory backing." She stated simply. Lily looked at Severus, unsure of what that meant, but after a agreed after seeing how sweetly nervous he was.  
  
She smiled silently at him, and he at her, as they headed back toward their group. Lily caught his hand and squeezed it, right before they joined their peers. James, Sirius, and Remus were all snickering to themselves, probably caught up in one of their own little jokes. Lucius was nowhere to be found.  
  
"Ok," Snape continued "now all we have to do is add the powdered unicorn horn, and it should be done." Lily realized her mistake one second too late, as James and Sirius's eyes lit up. She shouldn't have left them alone with the potion.  
  
"NO SEVERUS, DON"T!" She cried, as he added the last ingredient, James, Sirius, and Remus ducked, and the potion exploded.  
  
_________________________________________________________-Hope you liked, Many MANY thanx to those who have reviewed~!=Þ 


	9. Deceptions

Hey guys!!! So how're all of you? Sorry I haven't been updating regularly, but I've been really busy, and a little too depressed to write with the lack of sufficient reviews I've been receiving (hint hint! =Þ) Anyways, I'll do better in the future, hope you like this new chapter! Things are starting to come together (or will come together in the next couple of chapters.) Enjoy! Chelsea_______________________________________  
  
Lily looked up at the dripping cauldron. The explosion had knocked everyone off their feet, and various students and projects were strewn across the room. The professor looked furious.  
  
"POTTER, BLACK, LUPIN, MALFOY, and SNAPE DETENTION!" She sat up, glaring at the boys with as much anger as she could muster. Lily started to pick herself up, feeling slightly dizzy from the potion, but had to sit down again, and close her eyes. She had been hit the hardest out of the entire class, along with Severus, who was brewing the potion.  
  
The professor was bustling around muttering under her breath, cursing the marauders and their antics. "Ok class," she surveyed they damage...it was pretty bad..., "clean this mess up now. Those of you who have been hit with the potion, I doubt it was even brewed correctly, so I am not concerned with any affects it may have. If any, it will wear off soon enough. Class dismissed." She sighed, turned and stalked off, grateful that she didn't have to stay.  
  
Lily was still sitting in her seat with her eyes closed. Her acute senses were picking up everything from the smell of the potion, to the perfume the professor wore, to the lycanthropy drifting off of Remus. She was going to be sick.  
  
While Remus had begun to clean the potion up, Snape and Malfoy looked at their ruined potion, along with their sure-to-be failing grade. They turned to glare at James and Sirius. They didn't seem to mind, as they openly laughed in their faces, until Remus looked up and shushed them. As the tension grew, the Slytherins nodded to each other, both exhibiting the same determined expressions. Malfoy took a step froward, his hands clinched-  
  
"Guys, I don't feel to great" Lily muttered, her eyes still shut. All 5 boys turned to look at her, just realizing she was there. The smiles were wiped off the Marauder's faces, and Mafloy's and Snape's expressions faded. Lily was in a bad way. "Guys-"  
  
Snape was the first over to her side, lifting her gently up into his arms, placing her head on his chest. He seemed surprised at himself, and blushed at the stares the other 4 gave him. "Hospital wing," he commented gruffly, before walking quickly out, leaving the rest of the class in shock. He just wanted to help Lily, nothing more. Or so he thought, until Lily passed out.  
  
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Out in the hall, he couldn't help but smile at the lovely girl in his arms, completely unaware of her current situation. The five minute walk to the hospital wing was taking a while, slowed down by his precious cargo. But he didn't mind, there was just something about her...  
  
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Lily awoke with a smile. She sighed, feeling the warmth of someone close by, but didn't realize her situation until she opened her eyes.  
  
"Severus?" She asked, squinting her eyes in the bright light of the hallway. Severus stopped mid-stride, almost dropping her.  
  
"Um, Lily? Are you all right?" he asked, avoiding her eyes.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"You passed out, so I was taking you to the Hospital Wing." He mumbled, completely conscious of the blush spreading over his pale, gaunt features. He continued to watch the ground as seconds ticked by. When he dared to look up, Lily was beaming at him. He smiled modestly, before being enveloped in a giant hug. Lily held him close, smelling his cologne, a habit she had acquired. She would always remember what he smelled like.  
  
The broke apart, blushing furiously. Lily smiled again at him, and then took his hand shyly. "Come on, we're going to be late to Divination, Severus," she said his name, rolling the vowels around on her tongue. She could definitely get used to that name. They turned and walked slowly, her hand lingering in his.  
  
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___________________________________________________Hey guys, ok, so I didn't really get around to what was my true intent for this chapter, so you'll have to wait a little longer before any more real revelations about the plot or Lily are revealed. And please no flames about Snape, u have to realize Lily's under the influence of a pretty strong potion...-Hope you liked, Many MANY thanx to those who have reviewed ~ ! =Þ no reviews.no story! 


	10. theories

Hey, guys, thanks so much for all the reviews, they really made my day (yes, I am a complete loser) Anyway, you were able to sway my mind, so here's your lovely ch. 10 (or it might be 11, I can't remember)Chelsea____________________________________oh, and PLEASE REVIEW! I sorta want to reach 90 reviews (though that's about impossible) but it's my goal so PLEASE REVIEW! I live on them.. ___________________________________________  
  
Divination passed slowly, the slightly purple haze floating around the room, making it difficult to see. Not so difficult though, that Lily didn't notice Severus staring at her. She smiled to herself. School with him around, was definitely looking better. She smiled broadly remembering the look on Potters face when she had decided to spend the class sitting with his arch rival.  
  
"Ms Evans, is there something in your Ball that amuses you? I plead that you not take this with such a shallow attitude. This could be your future." The teacher walked away. Lily sighed and wiped her smile off before rolling her eyes at Snape, who smirked back. She may not have been laughing at her crystal ball, but she could think of some things she could do with Severus that would certainly bring a smile to her lips...(please people, get your mind out of the gutter-she's talking about pleasant things here, like taking walks- you have to remember, at this point she's never even been kissed! It's all wishful thinking)  
  
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After Divination, the rest of the day passed in a haze. At dusk clouds started to gather on the horizon, bringing with them a cool breeze, and a promise of winter to come. In the common room, lily settled down with a blanket in the squishiest armchair she could find, and opened a book. It was quite chilly, and she shivered and hunched down into her chair wishing she had worn something a little warmer. She was dressed in oh-so-cute pajama pants that had little fish on them (think Old Navy) and a white tank top that James noticed had no bra underneath it. He watched her for a moment contemplating, and made his way over. He was disturbed by her lack loyalty during the proccess of pranking a Slytherin. She really shouldn't have warned Snape about his Potion, so he deserved a little fun, right?  
  
"Hey baby doll, are you that excited to see me?" She looked up, surprised to see him standing there. She had figured he had gotten the point that she never wanted to speak to him again after the potions incident.  
  
"Excited? Over you? Why would you say that?" James smiled gleefully, making sure to look her up and down before concentrating on her chest. She shifted uncomfortably. A slight breeze caused her arms to rise in goosebumps.  
  
"Your nipples are sticking out, that's all." From across the room Sirius whooped. Lily was silent for a moment, turned bright red and then slapped him across the face.  
  
"It's COLD, you annoying, infuriating, disgusting." She stammered, "PRICK!" He smiled and sauntered off.  
  
"Anytime you wanna, just call" he chirped over his shoulder. Lily glared at his back, her face blushing a pale crimson. James sat next to Sirius, still chuckling at his little joke.  
  
"Dude, did you see the look on her face?" He gloated openly. Sirius was quiet, and not due only to the blonde sitting on his lap, kissing his ear.  
  
"Are you sure that was smart, I mean, come on, you just totally embarrassed her." James rolled his eyes.  
  
"What are you going soft on Evans now? Padfoot my friend, things have just started to get embarrassing for her. If she thinks hanging around with snape will make things -"  
  
"So you're jealous then?" Sirius interrupted, smiling merrily. "You liiike Lily, you liike Lily" He started chanting in a singsong manner. James looked at him sarcastically.  
  
"Oh ya, me and Evans, what a pair." (Oh the irony of it all) Sirius left it at that, but noted James eyes when Lily left the room.  
  
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After the Potter incident, Lily was fuming. That annoying, disgusting, perverted, infuriating.bastard! How dare he? Who did he think he was, why couldn't he just leave her alone? Her thoughts railed against him as she stomped her way up to the astronomy tower. She had to meet Severus to research for his theory of magic paper, but she didn't think they'd get very far she was in such an awful mood. Somehow, even the thought of his beautiful hands couldn't push the image of the infuriating Potter out of her mind.  
  
She slammed the door shut behind her, breathing in the cool night air. She looked around and the room, sparsely furnished with a couple couches and a fireplace. The ceiling was enchanted so that it was crystal clear, perfect for viewing the winters night sky. Severus sat on a couch next to the fire, several papers jumbled on his lap. He had looked up when she stormed in, careful to let her settle herself.  
  
"Hey." She smiled, surprised how only one word from him could improve her day. She walked over to him slowly, adding a little swing to her hips. From what she could tell, he definitely noticed. She sat, a little too close for comfort, but there wasn't a whole lot of room on the small couch he had picked.  
  
"So what are we doing?" she asked.  
  
"Well, in my paper..." Severus launched into the complexities of his theory. Most of it was lost on Lily, who nodded along. He was absorbed in his work ".but I think that in instigating certain levels of emotion, one can in fact, learn to control their power, and even increase it." He looked at Lily, who nodded, not quite sure of what to think. She leaned back to look at the stars. She could feel Severuses gaze on her, but then he too leaned back, their shoulders touching. She turned on her side to look at him. He smiled at her, brushing back one of her firey gold strands of hair. The beauty shining out of her eyes was entrancing. "lily" he breathed, placing his hands lightly on her waist. She moved closer to him, close enough to count the individual lashes on his eye. She closed her eyes, waiting for the kiss. Severus smiled to himself.  
  
Things were going exactly as expected.  
  
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ahhhhh, a cliffy! They haven't kissed yet, but I had to let you guys know I wasn't serious about the Snape romance. I mean come on..anyway, please review.ignore the next chapter.its one of my old notices, but I don't know how to delete the chapter. Next time I update though, it should be gone. Anyway.again, PLEASE PELASE REIVEW!!!!!!!!(if reviews are good I'll update this weekend!) 


	11. Running

Hey guys, thanx for all the great reviews, I really appreciate them. So on to the chapter! Chelsea_________  
  
Ch. 12  
  
Lily closed her eyes, waiting for the kiss to come. But it never did. At that moment, the door to the tower was flung open- the couple too busy to notice they'd interrupted anything.  
  
"WHAT THE F*CK!" Lily jumped up, smoothing her shirt and hair down. Severus looked flustered on the couch. She blushed, realizing what had almost happened. Her surprised shriek was still resonating off the walls, which had (thankfully) managed to rouse the couple from their.activities. She turned, ready to run out, when she smacked directly into.  
  
"POTTER!" she was speechless. A minute stretched while she collected her thoughts. "Y,y...you annoying, infuriating, disgusting-"  
  
"Yes, Prick. You told me that earlier, remember?" James sneered. He couldn't believe he had caught lily in, he shuddered to say it, Snapes arms. It was low, even for her. She would have been better off in his - wait, what was he thinking?  
  
At hearing his name, Snape had stood up, his face dark and stormy. Lily looked at the two boys, each glaring with a degree of disgust in his face. Lily groaned inwardly. Why didn't she see something like this coming? What was she thinking, getting in a position like that with Snape in a public area?!?  
  
The girl James had been making out with looked haughtily at Lily, then uneasily as she glanced at Snape, who looked ready to kill. She looked like a Hufflepuff. Maybe one of James' regulars. She opened her mouth where Lily could see a sarcastic comment forming.  
  
But Lily just didn't want to hear it.  
  
She stormed out, slamming the door behind her, her thoughts racing furiously. The nerve of them, all of them! James and his 'friend' for interrupting, Severus for being angry for no good reason. And her! What had she been thinking? She had been running for weeks now and all of a sudden she had stopped because she had fallen in love? What was love, and who was she to experience it? Was she getting stupid? She knew the longer she stayed in one place, the more vulnerable it made her.  
  
She lectured herself on her stupidity as she flung herself down the stairs heading towards the dorms. It had been three days, yet she hadn't even thought of leaving the castle, even though numerous people knew her name. Three days where he could be catching up to her-three days closer to the day when he would make her his. She paled horribly at the thought- the thought of the man that had killed her parents, and had promised her for himself.  
  
When he had rung the doorbell on that fateful evening, she had opened it to find a hopelessly handsome young man with dark hair, and piercing green eyes standing on her doorstep. He had seemed so pleasant when he asked to speak with her parents, though she couldn't say exactly what made him so. His smile was so open, she didn't feel any hesitation to let him sit in the living room while she fetched him. In fact, she had been completely fooled by him, until she heard the screams.  
  
She shuddered at the thought of the screams, shrill, piercing, fading as the blood spilled onto the cream carpet. She had rushed down the stairs two at a time, to see the dashing stranger smile as he licked the blood dripping from his knife. He looked up, his hand outstretched, beckoning her to join him. She stood still. He laughed and walked toward her, his hand still outstretched. She hadn't known what to do, only staring in horror until he had her backed up against a wall. "Such beauty," he had murmured, "even with bloody tears streaming down your face." He reached his hand up to cup her face, his thumb wiping away the tears. "Don't let this upset you." He whispered. She remembered blinking, then stabbing him with the knife attached to his belt. She had stumbled away, pushing debris out of her way, not turning when he called.  
  
"I will find you, my dearest, and then there won't be anywhere to run."  
  
Since that night she hadn't stopped running. She had tried to contact her sister, but Petunia was hateful, and had assured her that she would find no asylum with any member of her family. She had traveled up the English coast, surviving by some miracle of fate, always running, hiding, and thinking about her next move. And what had happened? She had let herself get sidetracked. She sniffed, letting a single tear drop from her eyelashes and stray down her cheek. She wiped it away. It wasn't the time to cry, only the time for one thing.  
  
She had to leave tonight.  
  
Ahh! Oh no! Anyways, I'd really like to thank all of you who reviewed, it makes me super happy. Enjoy the chapter! I'll try to write soon! Chelsea.______ 


	12. Out the door

Hey guys, thanx for all the reviews, as always. They really do make my day. Sorry I haven't been updating, I was out of a town for a week, and forgot to update before I left. Anyway, hope you like that chapter! Chelsea______________________  
  
Lily swooped into her dorm, pulling things from her shelves, while struggling to get her trunk out from under her bed. She stopped, caught her breath, and bent down. She tugged, tried once more, and gave up. It wasn't going anywhere. "dammit", she mumbled, looking around at the mess she had made of her room. She wasn't going to be able to take any of it, only the bare essentials. She sighed, and traded her pajamas for jeans and a dark shirt, pulling her cloaks hood down low. She looked around, grabbing a classmate's knife (they had been transfiguring them) and her wand, which she still didn't know how to use. She laughed at the idea that she had the powers all the other students had so promisingly shown. She had been at the school for three days, and still hadn't managed to make sparks with the wooden stick, regardless of what the headmaster and her professors had said. She dropped it, and slide into shoes. She looked into the mirror. A rather shy, scared teenager looked back at her, a halo of red hair framing her green eyes. She looked small and pitiful, an image contrasting that of what she wished to be - strong and merciless -one who would never again submit to being prey. "But by running, aren't being just that?" A small voice pipped in the back of her mind, a voice she pushed aside. She sighed and grabbed some money (also from her room mates stash), and headed out the door.  
  
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Potter was still staring at the door. The same applied to Snape. They had been standing that way for at least 10 minutes, neither knowing what to make of Lily. She had just walked out, not that he was too surprised, but something still managed to hold him to the spot, a look of surprise on his face. His anger had evaporated, but he still didn't know what he was thinking, what Snape was thinking, what SHE was thinking. He smiled, at least Snape didn't know what she was thinking either, as he had obviously thought she would stay just so he could play the hero. He went back to staring at the door, thinking about Lily.  
  
"Guys, I think she's gone." It was like a spell had been lifted. Both James and Snape looked toward his playmate, as if just noticing she was still there. She went over to James, and tried to give him a massage, but she shrugged her off.  
  
"What, Potter, is that awkward for you? Do you have some feelings for Evans? Too bad for you, 'cause we were just getting quite comfortable." Snape smirked. James bristled, though he didn't really know why. Did he have feelings for her? No, he reprimanded himself. He didn't. Any resemblance of feeling was just protectiveness - a vestige left over from her looks, because she did look so innocent and naïve. That was all, she just looked like that, and it was confusing him. Really.  
  
"Funny then, that she didn't stay, isn't it Snape? Was getting that close to you giving her a nosebleed from the smell?" he retorted. Snape growled, but James was already halfway out the door, he had better things to contend with. Like his stomach - he headed down the staircase to the kitchens, hoping to find a midnight snack.  
  
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sticking to the shadows, Lily headed down the grand staircase, heading for the great hall. As far as she knew, it was the only exit besides a window that she could get out of, and most certainly the only way she would escape without a broken neck. She spied the door, and slipped quietly down the last few stairs. Now it was only a mad rush for the exit, and she would be home free, once again at the mercy of the night. She breathed slowly, regaining her composure, clamped one hand down over her knife, and- "Going somewhere Evans?"  
  
_______________________________________________________________________Hey guys, hoped you liked the chapter, please review, I'm hoping to get at least 95 reviews before I write the next chapter. Anyway, it should be ready by Friday or sat. PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!love ya all.Chelsea... 


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